Stock Materials
| Type | Description | Typical applications | Spec Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acetal | An opaque material that has excellent mechanical properties for friction and wear. Aceltal is rigid without being brittle and has a high melting point. | Gears, bearings, bushings, zippers, cams, gas tank caps, housings, plumbing components, and seat belts | Dupont Delrin Acetal 500AL NC010 |
| Acrylic (PMMA) | A transparent material with high optical clarity, with exceptional resistance to weathering and sunlight exposure. Protoshop’s stocked grade of acrylic is impact modified for 10x the strength of standard acrylic grades. | Automobile tail lights, sky lights, room dividers, labware, IVD cartridges, lenses. | Plaskolite Acrylic CA-41 Plaskolite Acrylic CA-51 Plaskolite Acrylic CA-75 |
| Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | A lower cost opaque material with high impact and mechanical strength, with a high resistance to heat distortion. | Tough consumer and industrial products: cases, telephone components, product housings, door handles, and automotive parts | Ineos Styrolution Terluran ABS GP-22 |
| Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) | A high flow, high transparency copolymer for optical and thin wall applications in the UV range. COC has a higher modulus than HDPE and PP, similar to PC but more brittle, and has a low moisture absorption rate, with high purity and low extractables. | Packaging films, lenses, vials, displays, and microfluidic medical devices | Topas Advanced Polymers COC 5013L-10 8007S-04 |
| Cyclo Olefin Polymer (COP) | Similar to COC, with good optical tranparency polymer with high chemical resistance and low water absorption. | Microfluidic medical devices, lenses (see COC) | Zeonor Zeonex COP 1420R |
| High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) | High density polyethylene with good stiffness and durability, known for its high strength to density ratio. Can withstand somewhat higher temperatures than PE, but still cannot be autoclaved. Resistant to solvents, and difficult to bond to. | Pails, automotive applications, toys, milk bottle caps, housewares, pipes | Chevron Phillips Marlex HDPE 9018 |
| High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) | Good flow, inexpensive, impact modifited polystyrene. Good balance of toughness and gloss. | Toys, housewares, and small and large appliances. Unmodified, can be used in food applications. | American Styrenics HIPS 478 Styron PD478W60 |
| Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) | A transparent, more flexible polyethylene material with excellent gloss, clarity, and warpage resistance. | Container closures/lids, medical, toys, food packaging, cosmetics packaging, sporting goods | Westlake Chemical LDPE EM182 2517 DOW Dowlex |
| Polyamided (PA) – Nylon | A flexible, high temperature material with good mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and resistance to cracking. Has good electrical insulation and abrasion resistance, and excellent chemical resistance. High moisture vapor transmission. Little resistance to strong acids and bases. | Automotive, electronic housings, sporting equipment, bushings, caps, nozzles, cable ties. | Grilamid L-20 Grilamid TR55 – 30% GF Grivory Rilsan Amno Tld – PA 12 |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | A durable, high-impact, transparent (to visble light) material suitable for ETO and steam sterilization. PCs have excellent electrical insulating characteristics that are maintained over a wide range of temperatures and loading rates. PC is strong and rigid while having the pliability that is associated with softer, lower modulus thermoplastics. | Electronic components, dome lights, DVDs, protective eye wear, riot shields, medical devices, toys | Makrolon Polycarbonate 2405 Makrolon Polycarbonate 2258 Makrolon Polycarbonate 2558 Makrolon Polycarbonate 2858 |
| Polycarbonate with 10% glass fiber | An opaque, high flow grade of polycarbonate with 10% glass fiber additive. Glass adds additional stiffness, impact resistance and dimensional stability to the properties listed above. | Automotive parts, appliances, sporting equipment, where strength to weight is important. | RTP Company Polycarbonate with 10% glass fiber RTP 301 HF |
| Polypropylene (PP) | A tough, translucent, semi-rigid low cost material with outstanding physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. PP has a low vapor transmission rate, is light weight, and has excellet resistance to solvents. Suitable for sterilization by high energy radiation. Polypropylene has less dimensional stability compared to other plastics. | Used often in medical applications due to inertness, ability to withstand or transfer hot liquid, and low moisture vapor transition. Used in piping, plastic pails, car batteries, wastebaskets, pharmacy prescription bottles, food containers, dishes and pitchers. Parts with living hinges are likely to have been molded in PP. | ExxonMobil Polypropylene PP9074MED Invista Random Copolymer (Clarified) 13G27M PPR-PPHO02 – 30% Glass filled Homopolymer Bormed RF830MO (compounded with carbon black) |
| Polyphenylene ether (PPE) + high impact Polystyrene (HIPS) | Exhibits good impact resistance, excellent hydrolytical stability, and chemical resistance. Light weight and colorable. | Excellent candidate for medical device and pharmaceutical applications such as drug-delivery inhalers. | Noryl HN731A-7H1D394 |
| Polystyrene (PS) | An inexpensive, transparent, hard, and brittle material. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics. It has a low melting point, making it a good candidate for extrusions and vacumm forming, as well as injection molding. It is a poor barrier to water vapor transmission. | Jewel cases, containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery. packaging and medical disposables. | Southland GP125 Entec 666D Entec 675W |
| Styrene Butadiene Copolymer (SBC) | A transparent material with more toughness than styrene, and good chemical and abrasion resistance. Good printability. | Food and non-food packaging, containers, cups, lids, toys, medical devices | Ineos Styrolution Styrolux 684D |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | An opaque black elastomer material for over molding to polypropylene, 55 shore A hardness, compatible with silicone lubricants. Low compression set grade. ETO, gamma and autoclave sterilizable. Bonds to PP. | Soft grip surfaces, design elements, back-lit switches and surfaces, seals, gaskets, And damping elements. Automotive bushings, HVAC components, medical devices, cable insulation. | Avient Versaflex TPE HC 2110-57B |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A transparent, soft touch elastomer for over molding to polycarbonate, ABS, PC/ABS and copolyester substrates. 40 shore A hardness. Poor compression set performance at high temperatures | Soft grip surfaces, design elements, back-lit switches and surfaces, seals, gaskets, And damping elements. Automotive bushings, HVAC components, medical devices, cable insulation. | Avient Versaflex TPE OM 9-802CL |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A natural colored, sterilizable, high-performance elastomer designed for over molding for the heathcare/medical segment to polycarbonate, ABS, PC, PET, PBT, PMMA, SAN and POM. 40 shore A hardness. | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Medalist MD-34940 |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A natural colored, sterilizable, high-performance elastomer designed for over molding for the heathcare/medical segment to polycarbonate, ABS, PC, PET, PBT, PMMA, SAN and POM. 50 shore A hardness. | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Medalist MD-34950 |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A natural colored, sterilizable, high-performance elastomer designged for over molding for the heathcare/medical segment to polycarbonate, ABS, PC, PET, PBT, PMMA, SAN and POM. 60 shore A hardness. | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Medalist MD-34959 |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A natural colored, sterilizable, high-performance elastomer designed for over molding for the heathcare/medical segment to polypropylene. 30 shore A hardness. | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Medalist MD-12130 |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A natural colored, sterilizable, high-performance elastomer designed for over molding for the heathcare/medical segment to polypropylene. 40 shore A hardness. | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Medalist MD-12140 |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A natural colored, high performance elastomer designed to be a sustainable alternative to flexible PVC for medical products. 73 shore A hardness. | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Medalist MD-53273 |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | A translucent thermoplastic elastomer that possesses good surface aesthetics, rubbery feel, soft touch and good moldability. Designed to be overmolded to polar thermoplastics such as ABS, PC, and PET/PETG. 42 shore A hardness. | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Versaflex OM3060-1 Versaflex OM1040X-1 |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | For use in Medical and pharmaceutical applications, designed to be overmolded to polar thermoplastics such as ABS, PC, and PET/PETG. 30 shore A hardness | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Thermolast M TM3ADT |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | For use in Medical and pharmaceutical applications, designed to be overmolded to polar thermoplastics such as ABS, PC, and PET/PETG. 40 shore A hardness | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Thermolast M TM ADT |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | For use in Medical and pharmaceutical applications, designed to be overmolded to polar thermoplastics such as ABS, PC, and PET/PETG. 50 shore A hardness | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | Thermolast M TM5ADT |
| Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) | For use in Medical and pharmaceutical applications, designed to be overmolded to polypropylene. 40 shore A hardness | Medical devices, seals, gaskets, soft grip surfaces, design elements, damping elements, cable insulation. | THERMOLAST® K TF4THT |
| Thermoplastic Vulcanizate (TPV) | An opaque black elastomeric material with excellent physical and chemical resistance properties. 54 shore A hardness. High flow grade for molding complex shapes. | Used in sealing applications: Automotive, household appliance , electrical, construction, and healthcare. | ExxonMobil Santoprene TPV 121-50M100 |
| Thermoplastic Vulcanizate, (TPV) | An opaque black elastomeric material with excellent physical and chemical resistance properties. 38 shore A hardness. High flow grade for molding complex shapes. | Used in sealing applications: Automotive, household appliance, electrical, construction, and healthcare. | ExxonMobil Santoprene TPV 111-35 |